09/24/2026
Some things are bigger than gaming. Bigger than business. Bigger than content.
I keep looking at Nolan Wells and thinking about all the different ways this could touch my own life. I’m a Black man, so that could have been me. I’m a father, so that could be my son. I’m a teacher, so that could be one of the young men who once sat in my classroom. I’m also a Black business owner whose entire business is built around young people, families, community, laughter, competition, and creating memories. So I cannot look at an 18 year old Black boy who left home for the Fourth of July and never made it back and simply scroll past it.
What makes this even harder is that we still do not know how Nolan Wells died. A grand jury declined to bring charges and said the evidence was consistent with drowning, but both the state medical examiner and the independent pathologist retained by Nolan’s family classified the cause and manner of his death as undetermined. The independent autopsy also documented recent, unexplained blunt force injuries to the back of his head and other parts of his body.
I don’t know what happened to Nolan. That is the point.
His parents should not have to accept unanswered questions about how their child died. They should not have to turn their grief into a full time fight just to keep people asking questions. And as Black people, this feeling is painfully familiar. Another story. Another grieving family. Another name. We say the name, post the picture, get angry, and eventually the internet moves on.
I’m tired of that cycle bro!!
So when we say Justice for Nolan Wells, it has to mean more than accusing somebody online. Justice means truth. Justice means transparency. Justice means following the evidence wherever it leads. Justice means answering the questions that are still unanswered. Justice means refusing to decide that a Black life is no longer worth investigating simply because the headlines have slowed down.
There are things we can do. Share Nolan’s story using verified information. Read the independent autopsy. Support his family’s call for an independent federal investigation. Sign and share the petition requesting a federal review. Contact the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and your federal representatives and ask that his family’s request for answers be taken seriously.
At the same time, no threats. No harassment. No doxxing. No turning speculation into fact. Justice for Nolan cannot mean creating another injustice. The pressure should be on truth, evidence, transparency, and accountability.
Nolan Xavier Wells was somebody’s baby. He had a future. He mattered. And until his family knows what happened to their son, we should not allow his name to become just another name we used to say.
Say his name. Nolan Xavier Wells. Justice for Nolan!!!